Bell, Book, and Stock List
Catering to the Contemporary Pagan Customer
In recent years, Paganism has blossomed from a quiet handful of practitioners into a wide and growing movement which attracts a great diversity of followers. Once taught primarily in small groups, passed from an experienced priest(ess) to a novice, Paganism now depends on books and other resources as well as personal contact for transmitting cultural material. Because few "mainstream" outlets carry such specialized products, Pagans often turn to metaphysical bookstores and New Age shops. With a little extra effort, you can discover what your Pagan customers want and provide it, thereby creating a situation beneficial to everyone.
Pagan Beliefs and Practices
First, understand that the term "Pagan" refers not to a single monolithic religion, but to a wide array of traditions which resemble each other in certain important ways. These non-centralized, nature-oriented traditions include both ancient ethnic paths and modern adaptations; some are more hierarchical while others are egalitarian, and most are polytheistic. Among the better-known traditions are Wicca/Witchcraft, Druidry and other Celtic paths, Asatru, Egyptian/Khemetic, and Greco-Roman. Depending on taste, people may or may not count Native American and Afro-Caribbean traditions as Pagan. For best results, take the time to identify the most active traditions in your area; that way you can cater to their specific needs as well as more general Pagan interests.
Despite the intense diversity which characterizes Pagan culture, the different paths do have a lot in common. More often than not, Pagans accept the following tenets: Everything is connected to everything else. A person's actions affect things far away as well as nearby. Whether a person behaves ethically or unethically, a reflection of every action returns to that person. There is no such thing as "the devil" or "Satan" as described in Christian literature, nor any other all-powerful embodiment of absolute evil, but evil thought-forms can sometimes emerge and cause problems if people pay attention to them. Reality exists in many layers, from the physical to the spiritual to the magical, and people who take the time to learn can shift their awareness from one layer to another and can use this expanded awareness to effect positive changes in their lives or consciousness. Individual souls may reincarnate, learning and growing over the course of many lifetimes. The Earth and all its inhabitants possess a quality of immanent worth beyond their potential usefulness to human beings; all things are sacred and deserving of respect. As human beings, our self- awareness gives us the responsibility to take care of the Earth and other resources, instead of abusing them. Each person must take responsibility for his or her own choices. There is no "One True Right and Only Way" but rather a wide range of options which different individuals find meaningful.
Pagans see the divine as manifest in male and female, plant and animal and "inert" matter, and typically follow Gods and Goddesses who embody aspects of the natural world. Likewise, Pagans frequently cultivate an intimate, personal relationship with one or more divine patrons in contrast to the "worship from afar" practice common in mainstream religions. Here women as well as men can serve as clergy, conducting rituals and working magic; here everyone can participate in celebrating holy days and other special occasions. Many people feel drawn to Pagan traditions precisely because mainstream religions do not offer the range of choices or direct experiences with the divine which they desire.
Paganism also offers an opportunity to connect with the land and with natural cycles. Most Pagan traditions feature a series of holy days which mark the changing of the seasons, such as the "Wheel of the Year" popularized by Wiccans: Samhain (Oct. 31), Winter Solstice (Dec. 22), Imbolc (Feb. 1), Spring Equinox (March 21), Beltane (May 1), Summer Solstice (June 22), Lammas (Aug. 1), and Autumn Equinox (Sept. 21). Many also observe the phases of the moon, and Pagan groups traditionally meet at the full moon, or at another phase suited to their intended work. Other holidays honor specific deities, heroes, or other figures. Finally, Pagan religions acknowledge the major points of passage in a person's life, including birth, coming of age, initiation, handfasting/marriage, elderhood, and death. A typical Pagan event begins with a bit of orientation, followed by the creation of sacred space through invocation, a ritual or spell, the dismissal of sacred space and any Powers invoked, and finally a social time for people to mingle while enjoying festive foods and beverages.
Pagan activities follow along with the preceding beliefs. Pagans may practice in a group or alone, but they usually observe the holy days and life passages in similar ways. Often they devote considerable time and energy to creating a sense of community, both with other Pagans and with the mainstream community in which they live. You will see Pagans do things like planting trees, protesting environmental degradation, and contributing to worthy causes. Most also strive towards personal improvement, seeking out new ideas and skills while working through challenges and problems. Usually they combine practical "real-world" action with magic or prayer for maximum effect.
Members of the mainstream often confuse Pagans with other groups. Thus, contrary to popular opinion, the terms "Pagan" and "Satanist" are mutually exclusive; Paganism consists of positive nature religions, whereas "Satan" is a figure from Christian cosmology. And while they have much in common, Pagans and New Agers are not synonymous either. In particular, Pagans tend to show more interest in matters magical and spiritual, whereas New Agers lean towards the metaphysical and psychic. New Agers often have more money to spend, although many Pagans spend a sizable percentage of their disposable income on books and other supplies. Pagans, especially experienced practitioners, typically want a higher standard of research in their reading material, while New Agers tend to prefer lighter reading. Despite this, solid Pagan scholarship remains lamentably scarce.
You can make your shop more attractive to Pagan customers in a variety of ways. First, make a point of stocking books, music, and other products interesting to Pagans. Write a list of which titles customers request most often. Hunt down the best books and keep them available. You may also want to post a "recommended reading list" compiled by your staff or by local Pagans; many beginner books also include such a list. If you can catch the attention of novices, they will probably continue to shop with you as their experience grows; and advanced practitioners will gravitate to your store if they know you carry high-level, hard-to-find material. Next, become a part of the Pagan community. Get to know the folks in charge of the local coven or other organization. Put up a bulletin board where customers can post announcements of events like open rituals, lunar meetings, classes, and so forth. If you have room, you might want to offer space for workshops or lectures. These things help establish your store as a center of information and networking, which encourages people to stop by fairly often ... and once they're through the door, they will usually look around and find something they just have to buy.
Stocking Products with Pagan Appeal
Pagans appreciate many of the same things that New Agers do. In particular, Pagans adore reading material. Some, like New Agers, are primarily interested in entertainment and personal growth. Others, however, want to learn about ancient cultures and exotic religions, even if that means doing an extensive amount of research. You can please Pagan customers best by offering a level of service and/or selection they can't find elsewhere. Those of you with large stores may want to stock as many Pagan-related books and products as possible, for maximum choice; those of you with smaller stores may prefer to offer only the very best items within each category, saving customers the need to hunt for them among lesser items.
Nonfiction books on Pagan topics should form the main attraction. Stock a combination of titles for beginning, intermediate, and advanced practitioners. Most books these days are written for beginning or intermediate students; material for experts is scarcer and harder to find, so carrying it greatly enhances your store's appeal. Also mix different types of books. Offer some serious reference books such as magical dictionaries and encyclopedias; general guides which cover things like ritual design, founding a group, or Pagan history; and titles devoted to a specific technique or tradition. such as runecasting, candle magic, or Stregheria (Italian Witchcraft). Keep some older classics, like Drawing Down the Moon, because people request certain books they hear about frequently; but watch for the best new titles too. Make a point of spotlighting titles that open a new area of study. For well-known Pagan authors such as Starhawk and Scott Cunningham, you may want to stock everything they have written; for less famous names you can pick and choose.
If you have room, it helps to stock some Pagan-positive fiction as well as nonfiction. Include a few books just for fun. These encourage imagination and also give Pagans a rare chance to see themselves reflected in heroic stories. Most books written for mainstream audiences, and even many genre titles, portray Pagans negatively if at all. Even one shelf offers a nice change from heavy-duty nonfiction. Also, some traditions draw significantly from specific novels to the point that practitioners consider them classics of the religion, as with the Avalonian tradition and the novel Mists of Avalon.
Next, you need to consider book quality and selection. Since even the largest store must contend with finite shelf space, you must decide which titles to stock and which to make available through special order if at all. Read the reviews in Pagan periodicals for an idea of a book's content. If at all possible, examine a copy of the book itself. Does it have a good index and bibliography? Does it connect with other quality Pagan writing, or does the author seem to make things up with little or no support? Can you understand the author's ideas, even if you don't agree with them? Do they make sense, or sound utterly silly? Are illustrations, diagrams, photos, etc. clear and attractive? Has the author explained necessary safety precautions like not leaving lit candles unattended? Choose books with generous supporting material, cohesive structure, and clear presentation of concepts.
You can roll these ideas into another useful service, too: teaching novices how to build a good reference library. Suggest that they start with a general guide which describes many different Pagan traditions; or if they already feel attracted to a specific tradition, offer a good beginner's guide to that one. Explain how they can then add books with more advanced material in their preferred tradition, books which teach specific skills they want to learn, and handy references that make it easier to design spells for their individual needs. Show novices how to use a bibliography for further study in the same field. Recommend books that your other Pagan customers have enjoyed; you may even want to reserve a shelf for "staff favorites" or otherwise noteworthy titles.
In addition to books, you should probably carry some support items as well, because many Pagans can only find these items at New Age or other alternative stores. Periodicals such as magazines, newspapers, and newsletters help create a strong Pagan community. Choose from the famous ones with national or international distribution, or give local ones a chance. Magazines like PanGaia and Circle Network News feature articles and columns on diverse Pagan traditions; newspapers like PagaNet News also report on events like births, handfastings, and large gatherings. Curious observers often buy periodicals to get a feel for Paganism.
Annuals include calendars, almanacs, and other yearly publications. These provide a significant draw because the ones sold in mainstream outlets rarely feature the kind of information that Pagans want. Stock those that indicate lunar and planetary motion, festivals and holy days from diverse traditions, illustrations of Pagan deities, and so forth. Pagans will also enjoy many of the annuals you carry for your New Age customers, including astrological datebooks and calendars with illustrations of fairies or other mythological creatures.
Besides setting the mood in your shop, music also creates a strong draw for the same reason as periodicals and annuals: lack of access. Few mainstream stores carry a decent selection even of the ethnic material, and nothing at all from the thriving Pagan folk music genre. Ethnic music, such as Celtic harp or Native American flute, holds significant appeal but try to include a selection of albums with distinctively Pagan lyrics as well. When selecting music, bear in mind its possible uses; Pagans may want albums to teach people songs for singing in ritual, or they may want background music to play during social time, or they may want something for meditation. Offer a diversity of titles to cover those and any other applications that occur to you.
Finally, there are sideline items: incense, jewelry, Tarot cards, and so forth. Pagan and New Age tastes overlap considerably in this area; for instance, the same selection of incense will probably serve both markets, and Pagans interested in stone magic will gravitate to many of the same gemstones as your New Age customers. When available, natural products like beeswax appeal to Pagans more than do artificial products like paraffin; New Agers may not care as much about the distinction. Pagans use candles in an extraordinary range of colors, sizes, and shapes; stocks as wide a selection of these as you can. In jewelry, you will see Pagans wearing some of the clever crystal and dolphin trinkets that New Agers love, but Pagans are more drawn to spiritual jewelry: pentacles, Green Man faces, Goddess figures, ankhs, Thor's hammer, etc. With Tarot cards and other divinatory materials, try to offer both an affordable model made of simple material for beginners and a costlier model made of luxurious material for the accomplished practitioner who wants an upgrade. The Rider-Waite Tarot deck is a good beginner's deck but tends to lose its appeal for more experienced readers; the Connolly Tarot also makes an excellent teaching deck. Consider the Wheel of Change Tarot or the Robin Wood Tarot for more advanced work. You can apply these basic principles to any other sideline items you may carry -- essential oils, herbs, magical stones, and so on. Pay attention to what your Pagan customers request, and try to offer a good selection.
On the whole, you can expand you Pagan clientele by just a little extra effort to meeting their needs. Most Pagans don't mind discussion their beliefs and practices with people who show an honest interest and an open mind, so if you ask politely you can learn a lot about Paganism from your customers. You might also want to flip through a few books or magazines to get a feel for the contemporary Pagan community. Chances are, your customers will notice and appreciate your efforts to make your shop more Pagan-friendly, and they may offer ideas for further improvement. How far you choose to go is entirely up to you, but this area is well worth your time to explore.
"Bell, Book, and Stock List: Catering to the Contemporary Pagan Customer" copyright 1999 Elizabeth Barrette, first published in New-Age Retailer March/April 1999.
Art on this page is from the "Whiteflower" set, at Winter's Pages
The URL for this page is http://www.worthlink.net/~ysabet/spirit/bell_book_stock.html and it was last updated on May 23, 1999.
